Comparison

Chess Openings Wizard vs Valora Chess

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Chess Openings Wizard

This app helps tournament chess players prepare their openings by designing and testing their knowledge of specific lines. It offers powerful editing and training tools, syncing with desktop versions and providing Stockfish analysis for move validation. Prepare openings quickly with tools refined over decades.

Highlights
  • Design and test chess openings
  • Full editing and training power
  • Syncs with Mac and Windows versions
  • Stockfish analysis via PocketGM server
  • Pedigree ribbon shows top player game results
  • Fast opening preparation tools
Features
Read full description

Chess Openings Wizard is where tournament players go to work on their openings. The app is based on the Bookup program that first came out in 1984. The app has full editing and training power like its brethren apps on Macintosh and Windows. Openings can be moved back and forth to the Macintosh, Windows, and Android versions. Chess Openings Wizard does not play chess, nor does it come with a game collection. It is meant for designing openings for White and defenses for Black, and then testing the player's knowledge of the lines by playing mock games. Sample ebooks include an opening guide (thousands of named and categorized opening positions accessible through any move order), an ECO master framework, and the White and Black repertoires of Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, and Robert Fischer. It also includes a demo ebook with excerpts from a highly annotated repertoire in the Open Game. Chess Openings Wizard has a dedicated PocketGM server giving you full speed Stockfish analysis. (Internet connection required.) The Pedigree ribbon shows the results of games in each opening position but uses only games between two super GMs. That way you know if the move is trusted by the best players. (And it's important to know if a move has never been played by a super GM when facing another super GM.) This is the same feature found in Chess Openings Wizard Professional for Macintosh and Windows. The short version is: if you are designing an opening with a game database app or with a playing program, you're working too hard. Chess Openings Wizard contains 42 years of refinements, with precisely the tools that a tournament player requires to prepare openings fast.

About

Valora Chess

Features
Read full description

Valora Chess is a structured chess training platform designed for coaches and students who want focused improvement through guided practice. The app helps chess coaches assign training tasks, track student progress, and manage learning in an organized way. Students receive clear assignments and work through puzzles and training exercises with accountability and structure. Valora Chess is built for serious learning and skill development, supporting chess academies, coaching groups, and individual training programs. Key Features • Coach and student onboarding • Assign chess puzzles and training tasks • Track completion and student progress • Organized coach–student training workflow • Secure account-based access Valora Chess is designed for structured chess education, helping coaches monitor development and helping students improve through disciplined, guided practice.

Screenshots

Chess Openings Wizard4 screens
Valora Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Valora Chess at Free against Chess Openings Wizard's $6.99. Valora Chess also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). Chess Openings Wizard's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.2). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Valora Chess is free to download; Chess Openings Wizard costs $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Openings Wizard ships an update every 2 months, Valora Chess every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Chess Openings Wizard versus Valora Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess Openings WizardValora Chess
Price$6.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews54.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better14.2
Further details — not scored
Size167 MB164 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBookup Corp.Ravi Verma

In-app purchases

None

Chess Openings Wizard

No in-app purchases

None

Valora Chess

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chess Openings Wizard free?
Chess Openings Wizard costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Valora Chess free?
Valora Chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Chess Openings Wizard or Valora Chess have ads?
Neither Chess Openings Wizard nor Valora Chess shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess Openings Wizard or Valora Chess?
Chess Openings Wizard ships an update every 2 months, and Valora Chess every 5 days. Most recently, Chess Openings Wizard was updated on September 17, 2026 and Valora Chess on September 18, 2026.

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